India: No relief for Manish Sisodia, Supreme Court will hear bail plea on September 4

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia did not get relief in the two Delhi excise policy cases againsthim on Friday (August 4). The Supreme Court of India deferred hearing on his interim bail pleas to September 4. The cases against Sisodia are being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti perused the medical records of Sisodia's wife, and said she is "fairly stable" and, therefore, it will consider the interim bail pleas of former deputy chief minister along with regular bail pleas in the cases.

Sisodia has sought interim bail on grounds of his wife's ill health.

On July 14, the Supreme Court had sought responses of CBI and ED on the interim bail pleas of Sisodia.

The CBI arrested Manish Sisodia on February 26 under allegations of 'scam'. He handled excise portfolio among many as deputy chief minister of Delhi. He is in custody since his arrest in February. He resigned from the Delhi cabinet on February 28.

Previous denials of bail

He was denied bail in the CBI case by the high court on May 30. The court said that since he was deputy chief minister and excise minister, he was a "high profile" person and could potentially influence the witnesses.

The high court denied bail to Sisodia in the money laundering case on July 3. The case is linked to alleged irregularities in the city government's excise policy. While denying the bail, the court said that the charges against him were "very serious in nature".

In its May 30 order, the high court had said since Sisodia was at the "helm of affairs" when the alleged scam took place, he cannot say he had no role to play.

The high court had stated that with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) still in power in Delhi, Sisodia had influence. The court also said that since the witnesses were mostly public servants, the possibility of Sisodia influencing them couldn't be ruled out.

According to the two federal investigative agencies, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours were extended to licence holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

The Aam Aadmi Party has repeatedly alleged that the government machinery is being misused against Sisodia.

(With inputs from agencies)

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